Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:10-12)
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth... (Ephesians 6:14a)
See Introduction to Putting On the Whole Armor Of God.
and please see more explanation in Part 2-Righteousness
Part 1: The Girdle of Truth
The Girdle--Here was the juncture of the main pieces of the body-armor, so that the girdle formed the common bond of the whole, it helped to hold the armor together.
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth..
The center of our armor is truth. In John 17:17, Jesus said God's word is truth.
The center of our armor is truth. In John 17:17, Jesus said God's word is truth.
In John 18:37, Jesus said "Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice." Pilot answered Jesus and said, "What is truth?" But if Pilot had known truth, he would have known Him. Jesus did say, "I AM the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE. No one comes to the Father except through ME."
How do we put on the girdle of truth?
By prayer. Here we have an opportunity to examine our own hearts before God. For those who are in the faith, through our Lord Jesus Christ, and know Him personally, rejoice at this thought! It is a sobering thing to think that we may be deceiving ourselves in some way, since "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings." (Jeremiah 17:9-10) God also said: "Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah." Psa 4:4 We need to come before God asking Him if there is some deception within our own hearts, "level" with Him and be willing for Him to reveal any sin that you need to confess, so that you might walk in truth with a clear conscience.
By prayer. Here we have an opportunity to examine our own hearts before God. For those who are in the faith, through our Lord Jesus Christ, and know Him personally, rejoice at this thought! It is a sobering thing to think that we may be deceiving ourselves in some way, since "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings." (Jeremiah 17:9-10) God also said: "Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah." Psa 4:4 We need to come before God asking Him if there is some deception within our own hearts, "level" with Him and be willing for Him to reveal any sin that you need to confess, so that you might walk in truth with a clear conscience.
"Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?" (2 Corinthians 13:5)
When I put on the girdle of truth I pray something like this, "Dear Lord, I put on the girdle of truth. You said you are truth I want you to fill me with your truth. Let me not lie nor deceive myself. I want all truth to be in my members. Let your Word of truth fill me today", I do not pray the exact same thing every time, but as God moves my heart, I pray. But I do put on truth, It is HIS armor and I put it on as He told me to do, it is an important piece of spiritual warfare.
But how to communicate this to our children?
When my little ones were learning to put on the armor of God, they learned mostly through the example I set. We would gather together for prayer in the morning and have the cardboard soldier there, ready to be dressed for battle. We had already talked about the reason we put on the armor, They took turns to put on the Velcro pieces, one would place the girdle of truth on the soldier and we would pretend to place the girdle about our waist, then we prayed... they heard me confess my sins asking God to fill me with His truth and His Word to be in my mind I was very open to them about my need for God to keep me from lying and deception. Hearing these things made them realize that only God can keep us from our own evil nature. They took turns praying and then we went on to the next piece of armor.
But how to communicate this to our children?
When my little ones were learning to put on the armor of God, they learned mostly through the example I set. We would gather together for prayer in the morning and have the cardboard soldier there, ready to be dressed for battle. We had already talked about the reason we put on the armor, They took turns to put on the Velcro pieces, one would place the girdle of truth on the soldier and we would pretend to place the girdle about our waist, then we prayed... they heard me confess my sins asking God to fill me with His truth and His Word to be in my mind I was very open to them about my need for God to keep me from lying and deception. Hearing these things made them realize that only God can keep us from our own evil nature. They took turns praying and then we went on to the next piece of armor.
This was an example set for them for God to use as they grew. It helped them to understand better that we have an unseen enemy, that we need to come to God for protection, that He has the armor to equip us to stand in the evil day. My daughter Leah, who is now 20 years old, told me that putting on the armor of God daily as we did, helped her to become sober about the spiritual enemy we face. It was a symbol for her of God's protection and a reminder to obey Him.
It also helped her to understand the discipline and need for daily prayer and coming to God for help.
Yes, it took TIME .. and the best investment of my time for LIFE! Teaching our children to live holy and godly lives is what our God has asked us to do! Is there any job more important than this for a godly mother?
Matthew Henry in his commentary writes:
1.] Truth or sincerity is our girdle, Eph_6:14. It was prophesied of Christ (Isa_11:5) that righteousness should be the girdle of his loins and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. That which Christ was girded with all Christians must be girded with. God desires truth, that is, sincerity, in the inward parts. This is the strength of our loins; and it girds on all other pieces of our armour, and therefore is first mentioned. I know no religion without sincerity. Some understand it of the doctrine of the truths of the gospel: they should cleave to us as the girdle does to the loins, Jer_13:11. This will restrain from libertinism and licentiousness, as a girdle restrains and keeps in the body. This is the Christian soldier's belt: ungirded with this, he is unblessed.
John Gill in his commentary writes:
Matthew Henry in his commentary writes:
1.] Truth or sincerity is our girdle, Eph_6:14. It was prophesied of Christ (Isa_11:5) that righteousness should be the girdle of his loins and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. That which Christ was girded with all Christians must be girded with. God desires truth, that is, sincerity, in the inward parts. This is the strength of our loins; and it girds on all other pieces of our armour, and therefore is first mentioned. I know no religion without sincerity. Some understand it of the doctrine of the truths of the gospel: they should cleave to us as the girdle does to the loins, Jer_13:11. This will restrain from libertinism and licentiousness, as a girdle restrains and keeps in the body. This is the Christian soldier's belt: ungirded with this, he is unblessed.
John Gill in his commentary writes:
"having your loins girt about with truth; by which is meant the Gospel, and the several doctrines of it; see Eph_1:13; and to have the loins girt with it, shows, that it should be near and close to the saints, and never departed from; and that it is a means of keeping them close to God and Christ, and of strengthening them against the assaults and attacks of Satan; and is of great use in the Christians' spiritual conflict with their enemies; the girdle is a part of armour, and so considerable as sometimes to be put for the whole, Isa_5:27; and here it is mentioned in the first place:"
Let us teach our children to put on the whole armor of God!
Let us teach our children to put on the whole armor of God!
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